Recent years have seen a huge uptick in the number of players turning to online gambling alternatives, and this year in particular has had a huge impact on the market as our work schedules have been constantly shifting and the possibility of a remote working future could provide much more free time for leisure activities such as these – but the influx of new players also means the risk of those being taken advantage of goes up, so how can you make sure you’re staying secure online whilst gambling?
(Image from vplaymate.com)
Check and double check – With so many new players being attracted to these services, the number of services available is also going up, but not all of these will be both legitimate and safe. Fortunately, it’s easy to spot the legitimate sites as many will have their licensing number easily visible on either their home page or about us page, as well as the growing reliance on reviews speaking virtues too. The first step to staying secure is to check and double check the site you’re using, make sure it’s safe and make sure it’s licensed to make sure you’re not being taken advantage of by a pop-up site looking to grab newer players off guard.
Understand regulation – The regulation around online gambling services can sometimes fall in to a little grey area, particularly if you’re using a site outside of your domestic regulation as US sites for UK players for example become more available – but when you’re playing on these other sites you’re subject to the regulation for where the operation is based. Make sure you check where the operator is registered, and the rules they must adhere to so you’re not caught off by a nasty surprise of not being able to immediately withdraw or have deposit limits for example.
If it’s too good to be true… – Then it probably is. If you see an advertisement for a huge deposit match whilst using certain payment methods, or huge odds on a long shot, perhaps its best to steer well clear. Much of the tactic for grabbing newer players who are otherwise unaware are to hook them with these huge promises, but what it often means is that you’re getting the wrong end of the stick and will come out worse afterwards. Your best bet for staying secure and safe is largely to stick to the more well-known sites at first until you develop a better understanding of what to look out for, and venture to other services once you know what you want from a service. There is some effort being made toward cracking down on these less secure and less friendly sites, but with so many popping up so quickly it can be difficult to keep tabs on them all, it’s down to your own judgement to ensure you’re getting the most from the service you’re using and so these tips and the many others available may be just what you need to stay secure and get the most from your online gambling experience.
